Last night I attended Yukio Hatoyama 's last campaign speech.  Tonight his party has won an historic victory over the LDP . (the Liberal Democratic Party ) The LDP has been in power for over 50 years (except for 10 months in the early 90s. ) Although some would say there is very little real difference between Hatoyama's party and the LDP (in fact many of the members of Mr. Hatoyama's party  -and Mr. Hatoyama himself -were once members of the LDP ) it is clear that the Japanese are expecting   big changes from  Mr. Hatoyama when he becomes the new leader of the Japanese Government in a few days. Anything will be better than the prehistoric sleezeballs of the LDP ! I have attended  many political events of many different parties here in Japan . Some things are really different from politics in the states: 1. At a political event here you almost never see a  flag. 2. Politicians almost never have any kind of  security.  Last week the number 2 man in Mr. Hatoyama's party was campaigning in my neighborhood without any bodyguards or  any police officers.  3.  Supporters do not really show their emotions as their counterparts in the States do.4.  Politicans here are not usually entertainers/actors to the same extent they are in America.   Great public speaking skills are not so important here.  I am not so sure that this is a bad thing....